Mastercard and CrescentRating have scored Muslim-friendly destinations for women within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The report is featured in the 2023 Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI).
Malaysia ranked first with the highest score of 87 out of 100.
"Malaysia leads in Muslim-woman-friendly destinations, highlighting its appeal to Muslim women in terms of safety, absence of religious restrictions, and sustainable socio-economic practices," the GMTI report stated.
Indonesia followed in second place with a score of 86, just one point behind Malaysia.
Qatar came in third, also with 86 points.
Muslim-majority countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) received scores of 85 and 84 respectively, providing a safe environment with complete religious compatibility for Muslim women travelers.
Other OIC member states such as Brunei, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Jordan also offer safety for Muslim women travelers, with scores reflected in the above graph.
According to the GMTI report, over 45% of Muslim travelers worldwide are women. Therefore, the safety of Muslim women requires special attention.
Besides offering attractive tourist destinations, these countries also provide a safe, comfortable, and welcoming tourism environment for Muslim travelers.
The scoring methodology uses the ACES framework and several indicators, including accessibility, communication, environment, and services. These indicators were used in all score calculations for each destination or sub-category of the GMTI research.
At least 57 countries are members of the OIC. However, in the assessment of Muslim-woman-friendly countries, the GMTI only compiled the top 10.
(See also: Indonesia Ranks First as a Muslim-Friendly Destination in the World)